It took a long time for me to find the perfect vanilla cupcake. A perfect cupcake needs to be light, (but not too light), taste good, and look good. It was hard to find a recipe that had all these 3 qualities. Something was always missing.

And then I found it, and the best part? It’s such an easy recipe!! Seriously, if you’ve ever been scared to try a vanilla cupcake recipe from scratch, this is the one you need to try. Especially when you pair it with my buttercream icing!

Method
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
-Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
-In a large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
-Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Beat in the sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
-Gradually add in the cake flour.
-While adding the cake flour, sprinkle over baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
-Stir in the milk, mixing until batter is uniform and smooth.
-Fill baking cups about 2/3 full (or a little less) and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
-Remove from the oven, transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack, and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting or serving.

Tips
-Don’t delay in transferring cupcakes to cooling rack. Be careful not to burn yourself, but when cupcakes are cooled in the muffin tin, the liners will peel away.
-You cannot taste the sour cream once baked. I personally gag at the smell of sour cream and was hesitant to make this recipe. So if you’re like me, don’t be deterred.
-Yes, you can make this all in one bowl. Makes for easy clean up!